the way my mother speaks

• • “under the shallows of my breath“

  Here Duffy has used a metaphor. Just as things that are under the shallows of water are close to the surface, so too are her mother’s words, almost as if they were whispered on the exhale - her mother’s words are still very close to her. Thus suggesting that, whilst she is anxious, her mother’s words offer her comfort.
• • “The day and ever, the day and ever.”

  The repitition used here is effective as it suggests she is saying her mother’s words to herself repeatedly, almost like a calming mantra. This is effective as it emphasises that her mother’s words soothe her as she says them to herself.
• • “browsing for the right sky”

  The word “browsing” has connotations of flexibility and choice. The words “right sky” has connotations of a feeling of belonging. These words add to the writers idea that the poet is unsure about her future and the possibilites that lie ahead but she knows she wants to find a place that feels like home.
• • “too blue swapped for a cool grey”

  The words “too blue” suggest perfect weather and an unspoiled sky, which may represent an idyllic or idealised past or childhood. The words “cool grey” suggest a darkening sky, which may also represent the looming and frightening future ahead. The contrast between these words is effective as it emphasises the poet’s uncertainty about her future and the challenges ahead.
• • “like a child who stood at the end of summer”

  The words “end of summer” has connotations of a change, and the end of a joyous summer holiday. This adds to the idea that with the change of seasons, there is also a change in state of moving from childhood to adulthood. With the end of this season, there are mixed feelings about the loss of summer (her childhood, her innocence) and her excitement about progressing to a new season (adulthood).
• • “dipped a net in a green, erotic pond”

  The word “erotic” suggests new possibilities, new life and a sense of awakening. The sexual awakening that is suggested here is both exciting, but also conveys sadness at her loss of innocence.
• • “I am homesick, free, in love with the way my mother speaks.”

  The word “homesick” suggests a longing for home, her mother and her past life, whereas the word “free” suggests her excitement at being away from home and gaining her independence. The use of this contradiction shows a nostalgia for her previous life but also excitement about the new life she is about to start.